Environmentally induced shift of the quantum arrival time

Abstract

Using a simple model potential, we study the effects of weak Markovian dissipation on the quantum arrival time. The interaction with the environment is incorporated into the dynamics through a Markovian master equation of Lindblad type, which allows us to compare time-of-arrival distributions and approximate crossing probabilities for different dissipation strengths and temperatures. We also establish a connection to an earlier study where quantum tunneling with dissipation was investigated, which leads us to some conclusions concerning the formulation of the continuity equation in the Lindblad theory.